Utility stand



July 8 1952 K. w. MAYNARD ET AL Y 2,602,615

` UTILITY STAND Filed June 22, 1950 M "MMELK /3 /4 w l L l 8\1r 'I 1 I). l 7 l l I gf' l 9\ l Patented July 8, 1952 Kermit W. Maynard, ChulafVi'sta,-andJosepir C'..

Weidel, Bonita, Calif., assignorstto 'RohrArff t' craftCorporation, Chula Vista, Calif., a cor- Applcationllunez, 1950 u *f4claims. rc1;

y v'Ouinvention relates ytoa'iutility stand. hich particularly useful for suspending enginesand otherf articles during maintenance, cverhal, vprocessing,-or storage. It is particularlyfbut not necessarily, adapted for use withaircraft engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for suspending an engine, which is capable of receiving such engine directly from the hook of an overhead crane, hoist or other handling equipment. 1

Another object is to provide a device of this class which facilitates the ready manual movement of the engine for accessibility. l i

Still another object is to provide a device of this class which may easily be adapted for use with articles other than engines, where a handling problem is created by the weight or nature of such articles.

A further object is to provide a device of this class, the structural members of which afford maximum accessibility to the suspended article..

Still a furtherobject is to provide a device of this class which may be readily towed or shifted from one location to another, as by means of a` tractor or similar equipment.

It is also an object to provide a device of this class which may, if desired, be permanently attached to a base, such as the floor or a structural member of a building.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention adapted for use with aircraft engines, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show a plan and a side View (respectively) of the stand with an aircraft engine suspended, Figure 3 is a detailed plan view of the suspension fork, and Figure 4 is an y enlarged side view of the'suspension cap.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, .the stand B consists of: the base member 1, essentially ofv a U-shape design; the upright post 8, attached to the said base member 1 and held in upright position by the braces' 9; and the suspension fork I0, attached to the upper end of the said upright post 8. Ready movement ofthe stand is provided for by the rigid casters Il andthe swivel casters I2, said casters being located for proper load distribution.

In Figure 3 the reference point A represents the location of the propeller shaft centerline of the suspended engine. The suspension fork I is provided with roller or ball bearings I3, I4,

and I5, arranged equidstant from .the reference point A, theaxes of said bearings lying in a com-` mon horizontal plane and converging toward the reference point A. When the engine is suspended from'. the {suspension .ff-iriavr L0; racesur.- faces of the bearings I3, .I.4.,.and I5 are in tan'- gentialrelationship witlntheundersurface I3 of the ncircumferential.. .support iiange. Iz'l lZon the 'engine "lifting cap' tI 8;as shown; ini Figures I2 and 4. The bearing I3 is located at the crotch of the suspension fork IIlwhile the bearings Ill and l5 are located on the tines of the said suspension v fork, the axes of said bearings I4 and I5 having sufficient forward deviation `from reference line YB to provide, with bearing I3, a stable three-point suspension for the circumferential support flange I1, while still allowing ample clearance for the insertion of the engine shaft into said suspension fork. A stop I9 is located at the end of each tine to prevent the engine lifting cap I8 from Vslipping out of the fork. The engine lifting cap is suitably threaded to engage the threaded shaft end of the en'gine'to be suspended and is provided' with a lifting eye 20, as is common practice.

To utilize our invention, the engine is hoisted by ordinary means, such as an overhead crane or other similar device, attached to the engine lifting'cap I8, the engine shaft is placed in the ksuspension fork I0, and'theengine is lowered until the circumferential support iiange I1 rests Vupon the bearings I3, I4, and I5 whichfacilitate 'ported by any other suitablemeans. It is con'-l ceivable that our'invention may be used for` suspending objects otherV thanA aircraft engines,

therefore, where we use the-term adaptor in the appended claims, we intend to be understood as vmeaning a device, such as a hook, a clamp, or

threaded cap, which is adapted for attachment to a given object and for use with the suspension fork member herein described.

Our invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, as above set forth, is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not A restrictive, the scope of our invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description,` and all changes which come within the rmeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are'therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A utility stand comprising in combination: a base member; an upright post mounted upon said base member and having a suspension fork attached to its upper end, the tines of said fork lying side by side in a horizontal plane; a plurality of rollers pivotally mounted on said fork, the axes of said rollers converging in a common horizontal plane toward a common center; and an adaptor supported by said rollers and having a circumferential flange adapted to make tangential contact therewith; vsaid adaptor at its upper end being provided with. means for attachment to a hoist.

2. In combination: A suspension fork adapted to support an engine; and an adaptor having at its upper side means for attachment to a. hoist,

and at its lower side means for attachment to said engine, said adaptor also having a projecting 20 Number iiange disposed abovel the tines ofsaid .fork and between said two means.

3. Means forfsuspending anengine, comprising in combinationza fork member adapted at one end for. attachment to vany Asuitable supporting 4 structure, and having at its other end two tines lying side by side in a horizontal plane; and an adaptor having at its upper side means for attachment to a hoist, and at its lower side means for attachment to the engine, said adaptor also having a projecting ilange disposed above said tines and between said twomeans. Y

4. Suspensionmeans as claimed in claim 3, in which said fork is provided with at least three .spaced apart rollers arranged to engage the bottom surface of said flange.

' KERMIT W. MAYNARD. JOSEPH C. WEIDEL. J REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

`UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,343,757 Q-Egedau Marl/1, 1944 

